Her Majesty looks at the items donated in the wake of the horrific tragedy

“We could talk to her. No one was being blocked off by police.

“The Queen showed she cared.”

Her Majesty and grandson Prince William were met with spontaneous applause as they arrived at 11am on a surprise visit to Westway Sports Centre, which has been turned into an aid centre for survivors of the nearby inferno.

A clearly emotional William called the tragedy “one of the most terrible things I have ever seen”.

He and the Queen spent 40 minutes meeting the destitute and bereaved, as well as the heroic emergency crews.

The pair then poignantly signed a book of condolence beside a wall covered in posters of the missing.
For one man, it was all too much.

HELI JOINS HUNT

Rhianna said: “We were registering and someone said, ‘Move out the way, there are VIPs arriving’.
“As I turned my head, I saw the Queen. I got pushed to the front and then I’m talking to her.
“It was like, ‘Oh my gosh’. I was shaking.

“The Queen then asked me if was a resident.

“I said, ‘Yeah, our flats are ­connected to the Grenfell building. We woke up to flames and were evacuated at 1am. It was like the movies, it was terrifying’.

“The Queen said, ‘It’s terrifying and devastating for people to be in this’.

“She then went inside but those few words were enough to know that she is there for us.”

Rhianna’s mum Marcia, 53 — who works with children with special needs — added: “The Queen looked at me. There was compassion, it was ­caring and sincere.

“The fact she took time out to see us means a lot.

“She didn’t have to. It speaks ­volumes how she feels about the situation.”

The royals were led past table tennis tables laden with donated food and drink, to meet first responders and volunteers

Vassiliki Stavrou-Loraine, who lives in the shadow of the tower, also met the Queen.

Royal donations to support victims

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry have made donations to the Grenfell Tower victims.

The young royals were among the first the contribute to the Evening Standard’s fund.

A Kensington Palace spokesman said: “The tragedy at Grenfell Tower has left a number of local people in need of urgent assistance.

“The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry are pleased the Evening Standard’s Dispossessed Fund has immediately swung into action. As residents of the local area, they are keen to offer their immediate support.”

The Sun has also pledged £100,000 to the victims of the Grenfell Tower tragedy but they also need your help.

The Duke of Cambridge spoke to firefighters as he visited a relief centre this morning

“He gave me the name of a ­contact of one of the charities so I need to contact them and get them to come down.

“He said, ‘Please make sure to tell people they need to talk about it’.” The Queen told Penny Appeal charity worker Taksima Ferdous, 31, from East London: “You have been incredible, please keep continuing.”

Emerging to more cheers, the royal pair greeted men and women from the London Fire Brigade, ­Metropolitan Police and London Ambulance Service.

Rami, the distraught man who prompted Prince William’s pledge to return, was pleased with the visit.
He told me: “The Queen was right to come and see what’s going on.

“Prince William said he would come back. I’d like to meet him and talk to him.”

Her Majesty had yesterday praised the bravery of the emergency services who have worked tirelessly

Yesterday the Queen paid tribute to the ”bravery” of firefighters who battled the fire and praised the ”incredible generosity” of volunteers offering their support.

Prince Harry and the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, who all live locally, made donations to a fund raising money for the victims of the blaze.

In a statement from Buckingham Palace, The Queen said: “My thoughts and prayers are with those families who have lost loved ones in the Grenfell Tower fire and the many people who are still critically ill in hospital.

“Prince Philip and I would like to pay tribute to the bravery of firefighters and other emergency services officers who put their own lives at risk to save others.

“It is also heartening to see the incredible generosity of community volunteers rallying to help those affected by this terrible event.”

The 24-storey residential Grenfell Tower block in Latimer Road was engulfed in flames in the early hours of June 14

HOW YOU CAN DONATE TO HELP THOSE AFFECTED

Today The Sun pledges £100,000 to the victims of the Grenfell Tower tragedy but they also need your help.

You can make a donation by text.

Text GREN88 and the amount you wish to donate to 70070, eg GREN88 £5.

You can donate £5 or £10.

What we know so far:

At least 30 people have been confirmed dead but the death toll is feared to be more than 100 – with many people still missing

The first victims have been named as Syrian refugee Mohammed Al Haj Ali, 23, and 24-year-old Khadija Saye

The Prime Minister has promised a full public inquiry into the disaster and police have launched a criminal investigation

The blaze on Wednesday night is thought to have been sparked by a faulty fridge but police don’t believe the fire was started deliberately

Experts warned the fire was spread by cladding panels which are fitted to countless buildings across Britain

Residents were seen jumping from upper floors in scenes reminiscent of September 11 and horrified witnesses told of babies being thrown from windows by desperate mothers

It was revealed the block had only recently undergone a £10million refurb and still had no sprinkler system installed – but designers insisted the refurbishment work complied with building regulations

Residents raised safety concerns four years ago, but were ignored

Celebrities and ordinary Londoners have united to provide food, clothes, money and shelter for survivors

The Metropolitan Police have so far confirmed the deaths of 30 people after the massive fire, which engulfed the west London tower block from just before 1am on Wednesday.

Several hundred people were thought to be inside the block’s 120 homes when the fire began – with many people, including children, still unaccounted for.

Police have said they expect the death toll to rise, with London Fire Brigade Commissioner Dany Cotton saying it would be a miracle to find anyone alive in the tower

She added it is too early in the investigation for her speculate on the cause of the fire – but witness reports have suggested it may have been started by a faulty fridge on the fourth floor.

CAMILLA'S PRAYER

THE Duchess of Cornwall sent “heartfelt thoughts and prayers” to victims yesterday.

Camilla spoke out on Chris Evans’ BBC Radio 2 breakfast programme during the finals of a creative writing contest for kids.

The Duchess said: “I’m sure all of you here today would like to join me in sending our heartfelt thoughts and prayers to the victims, their families and friends who were so tragically involved in the horrific fire in North Kensington.”

She spoke at the Tower of London where winning entries in Radio 2’s 500 Words competition were read out by celebrities including John Bishop.